Speak of the Devil
by Talia Louise Andrews
Summary: Remember when Scully’s friend quoted Scully in Season 1’s The Jersey Devil, saying she thought Mulder was cute..?


Title: Speak of the Devil

Author: Talia Louise Andrews

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Set before The Jersey Devil, so only four episodes to spoil! Minor references to Squeeze.

Disclaimer: Don't expect anything witty or clever. There are only so many different ways of saying, "I took absolutely no part in the creation of these characters, nor am I making money from writing about them."

Notes: I'm not too clear on exactly how much time passed between the Pilot episode and The Jersey Devil, so I'm making it up.

Summary: Remember when Scully's friend quoted Scully in season 1's The Jersey Devil, saying she thought Mulder was cute..?

Speak of the Devil.

By Talia

The two women giggled unabashedly, like they did back in ninth grade together. It was refreshing for Scully to be able to laugh like the girl she wished she still was. In front of the men she'd worked with for most of her life, not least her new partner, she was forced to keep up an unemotionally professional front. It tired her out somewhat.

Rarely was it that Scully had the opportunity to talk comfortably and openly with another woman. Most of the people she knew were male acquaintances, not even qualifying as friends, and so was compelled to either talk about work or remain silent, rather than feign an interest in the NFL. She wasn't even able to talk to her sister much anymore, since whenever they tried to socialise with one another, their completely differing viewpoints on just about everything led to arguments that were much greater than the mere rivalry between siblings they used to indulge themselves in as children.

But now, sipping coffee in the immaculately clean kitchen of a dear friend from back in the day, Special Agent Scully ceased to exist, if only temporarily, and she reverted back to being Dana, whom she missed greatly. Ellen missed her too, and seemed determined for her to resurface.

"Wait a second, what do you mean you went on a date recently?" Ellen enquired.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Scully replied as she set down her mug. "Am I not a thoroughly dateable specimen of womanhood?"

"Well that's a debateable subject, but what I meant was why are you dating when you're engaged to Ethan?"

"Oh, Ell, I can't believe I didn't tell you," Scully then realised just how long it had been since she had seen Ellen, and felt an instant pang of guilt. "I broke things off with him about two months ago. I guess I just didn't see things working out with him."

Her choice of career had caused her to distance from so many things she once considered invaluable to her contentment in life. Her faith in Catholicism; the practice of medicine; a strictly herbivorous diet. These things had slowly drifted from Scully's life. She didn't want the same fate to befall her best friend.

"Dana, why would things not have worked out between you?" Ellen probed. "I thought you were crazy in love with him. He was successful, charming, good looking…"

"OK, first of all, he was hardly good looking. I was just blinded by his success and charm. And second of all, I'm only just coming to realise I don't even like success or charm." Scully quickly flicked through a mental photo album of previous boyfriends, dates and would-be love interests; all resembling each other with their shared lack of adventure or passion, tedious desk jobs, un-athletic bodies, tidy combed hair, and undersized penises. Each guy made out of the same lifeless clay, just using a slightly different mold.

After a pause, as if reading her mind, Ellen began to speak. "Well, I have noticed a pattern in the kind guys you've been out with over the years. Was this latest guy another member of the success and charm family?"

"Yes, and before you say anything else, it wasn't even a date. It was more of a business lunch."

Ellen stifled a laugh. "So you gave up a long-term boyfriend, potential marriage and kids, so you could have business lunches with guys you don't even like?"

At the mention of marriage and kids, Scully looked up at Ellen, and felt an involuntary twinge of jealousy, and not for the first time. Ellen had been the first to do everything: to smoke a cigarette; to lose her virginity; to get her driving license; and to fall in love, get married, buy a house and start a family. Sure, she didn't have a degree in medicine, nor was she allowed to carry a gun, and she could not legitimately tell someone they had the right to remain silent. But she had a loving husband and a beautiful son. Scully didn't even have a cat.

"It's preferable to being married to someone I'm not in love with." Scully said almost without thinking. Having not confided with anyone about her feelings for so long, she was not used to being so honest. That was another trait Ellen brought out of her.

Ellen nodded in agreement. "So, Dana Scully is once again free to play the field."

Scully laughed. "Hardly. The field is pretty big. You and mom are the only people I'm able to make time to see outside of work."

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you're Clarice Starling now. Bet you're surrounded by sexy G-men all day long."

"Surrounded, yes, but they're not ALL sexy." Scully lowered her eyes and an image of her new colleague came to mind. "Well, there is this one guy…" she blushed and trailed off. For a second she was back in seventh grade, confessing to Ellen that she had a crush on Casey Thomas, the boy she sat next to in English class. She remembered being so embarrassed to be talking about him, but Ellen hadn't laughed or made fun of her. She had even been a comfort in her thirteen year old way when Casey had been spotted holding hands with Nicola Isaac.

"Well, are you gonna sit there teasing me, or are you gonna tell me what he's like?" Ellen was leaning forwards across the table now, and looked most intrigued.

Scully smiled and looked up again. "Well, he's tall, he's got dark hair and brown eyes, pretty athletic I guess. He's very intelligent, and I have a feeling our opinions will clash from time to time." She giggled. "And he has the silliest name. But he is cute."

Ellen refilled their empty coffee cups. "Could he be the one?"

"Oh please, Ell, I only just met the guy."

"I meant the one to break the cycle, not THE ONE." Ellen laughed. "Or does he fit the stereotype?"

Scully pondered, and compared Fox Mulder and Ethan Minette. "Let's see. Ethan was insecure, success-driven, and materialistic. Mulder, this guy at work, is impulsive, irrational, and kind of irresponsible." She smiled. He was the complete opposite to Ethan, and indeed to herself. She continued. "I've also noticed he's passionate, confident, and independent, if a little eccentric. It's weird; I wouldn't normally be attracted to someone like him, not because those traits put me off, but simply because I've never met anyone like him before."

Ellen gave a wide smile at her as she poured cream into their coffee. "He sounds perfect. You know you're in love with him, don't you?"

Scully spluttered. "Don't be ridiculous, I don't even know the guy!"

"But you know his eye colour already. When was the last time you looked past a guy's job, car or suit and saw the colour of his eyes?" Scully began to speak, but Ellen wasn't finished. "And not only did you notice the colour, but you thought it important enough to tell me what colour they were."

"What are you saying?" Scully's face was now crimson.

"I'm just saying it's great that you can notice the more important things now. This guy has obviously triggered something inside you to make you look deeper. Maybe now you can look into yourself too, and find out what you want. And because this guy Mulder started it..." She paused and shrugged. "..Maybe he's the one to give it to you."

Scully didn't know how to respond. "You're crazy."

Ellen smiled. That was Scully's response to anyone who told her something she didn't want to hear; usually something she knew was true. "You're the crazy one if you don't snap this guy up. Be like him – do something impulsive, irrational, even irresponsible.

"Like what?" Scully implored. "Ask him out? Jump his bones?"

Ellen laughed out loud. "Well, that's not exactly your style. But you should at least get to know the guy." She became serious. "It's a good thing he's in your life; I can sense a difference in you already."

"What difference?" Scully asked genuinely.

Ellen beamed at her. "You're happy, Dana. Don't let it go."

Scully knew she was right. Just meeting Mulder had alleviated the minor bout of depression she had fallen into shortly after the break-up with Ethan. Not that breaking up with him had upset her. She just seemed to react adversely to change.

Despite this, Scully could sense a positive change coming about. As Ellen changed the subject to the plans for her young son's upcoming birthday, Scully nodded absently and contemplated what she would say to Mulder on Monday morning.

The End.

Feedback welcomed with kisses


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